Overall Experience

        These past three weeks have taught me many things: how to act British, which tube station not to get off on, the proper way to eat fish and chips, and, most importantly, I learned A LOT about British history and literature. I had no idea just how many writers that are so commonly studied in English are from England. The Brits have provided us with William Shakespeare, John Donne, William Wordsworth, Lord Bryon, Jane Austen, William Blake, and Oscar Wilde. Just to name a few. Not only writers and poets, but scientists such as Issac Newton and Charles Darwin were both Englishmen. Many of these names came up frequently throughout my trip. In Westminster Abby many of these writers were memorialized. In several of the smaller cities we visited that were home/the study place of a famous writer, you could see the pride of that city for being known as the birthplace of William Shakespeare or the location for Canterbury Tales. 

      Along with my studies, I believe I made my time abroad worthwhile. In three weeks, I saw four cities outside of London. I also went and saw the northern coast of Ireland as a side trip. In London, I saw Big Ben, went inside of Parliament to see the House of Lords and House of Commons, went to Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street, and Camden market. 

Funny story when I was at Parliament, trying to take a picture of Big Ben there were these two construction workers that were kind of in the way but I didn't want to say anything. I tried to move to get a better angle. At this point one of the construction workers shoved the other one and said, "Hey move! She wants a picture of Big Ben not Big Gary!" He died laughing at himself and then offered to take the group's picture. Now you have to imagine himself saying this in a British accent because it makes it ten times better. 

During my time abroad, I also saw four plays (Titus Andronicus, Henry IV part II, Phantom of the Opera, and Mousetrap). I rode the London Eye, went on a Thames River cruise, visited Buckingham Palace and walked through St. James' Park.

We went through that park on our way to the Queen's Parade where hundreds of guards in red uniforms marched to the sound of drums and trumpets as the Queen was pulled in a carriage along with several other members of the royal family.

I saw one of the seven wonders of the world: Stonehenge. We were able to go way closer to the stones that I thought.

Through this journey, I made a lot of friends that I wouldn't have otherwise. Though I came to take classes, I gained so much more than just knowledge. I believe I am a more well rounded person and more culturally astute because of my time abroad.

St. Paul's Cathedral

In John Donne's Meditation XVII, he hears church bells ringing of a funeral procession and he hears the bell as his own because he knows he is nearing death. 

"He for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me" 

We are connected and therefore the bell tolls for all of us. Every action made affects the humanity as a whole. 

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main" 

"...therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee." 

The idea that we are all one on this earth is extremely moving. Being in a foreign country and feeling slightly out of place, reading those words put me at ease. Though I may not know all the people on the trip very well and am complete strangers to everyone I meet on the tube, each one of us is intertwined in some small way. 

The day we read John Donne was the day we visited St. Paul's Cathedral and the church bells did indeed toll. There was a statue of John Donne wrapped in a sheet with his eyes closed in St. Paul's. Our guide said that John had to pose for that statue before his death. He had it made and it stayed in the room with him at night. A statue of him deceases, wrapped in a sheet for him to look at for years before he was actually dead. 

That church was by far my favorite of all the cathedrals we saw. The floors and wall felt open, light, and airy. Everything was white and pure. The archways and chandeliers added the touch of elegance. We were able to climb all the way to the top of the highest dome. Over 300 steps and I enjoyed every moment of it. We went through small passageways and spiral staircases. The whole thing was completely thrilling. It was a great ending to the London trip because we had an overview of the city from the top of the dome. 

Canterbury

Geoffrey Chaucer's most entertaining novel was the Canterbury Tales (in my opinion; mainly because that's all I've read by him- but that's beside the point). Visiting Canterbury today, we were able to go on a pilgrimage from London just like the characters in the novel and hear five of the tales. We went through an interactive tour that told the tales while exploring the sights, sounds, and all the lovely smells of medieval times. 

My favorite of the five stories we heard today was the Wife of Bath and the Knight's Tale. The wife of bath spoke of a man that was going to be killed unless he could answer the queen's question, "What does a woman desire most?" After searching, he came upon an old lady that told him the answer- sovereignty. I really liked that answer and the ending to the tale where the man gave the old lady the power to chose rather than for him to decide her fate. 

In the Knight's tale, there were two cousins who both fell in love with the same woman while in prison. One truly loved her and the other only thought he did. There was a great battle for the woman's honor. The cousin that won was struck down by Saturn and so the other knight was given the fair lady instead. They married and were happy because he truly loved her. That is kind of a really summed up version but you get the point. I also really liked the Knight's Tale because when I went to the Tower of London that is the story they were acting out. It was so funny because the guy playing Chaucer started to tell the story in middle English but all the other actors were like, "We can't understand you" and so he changed to somewhat of today's English. The whole production was really cute and comical. 

 

"Chaucer" and fair maiden Emily from the Knight's Tale at the Tower

 

Between the Tower of London and actually going from London to Canterbury on a "pilgrimage" just like the story, I felt like my knowledge of Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales has expanded and is more relatable/hands-on.

Perspective

After reading Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owens, I began to change my perspective on what war means and how "glorious and honorable" dying for one's country really is. Reading the descriptions of the gas drowning and choking the helpless soldiers was an image that just will not get out of my head. Owens wrote the poem as if he was a soldier exhausted from the war stumbling along when the gas-shells are dropped all around him. He has to watch one of his fellow teammates choke to death and then carry his body to the wagon to watch him die. What is glorious and honorable about that? 

Not only did the poem alter my perspective on war and what it truly means to be a soldier, but it made me think about my perspective on America, the south, and London during this time abroad.

I have been watching and noticing the differences between how Americans act and how the British act. I remember sitting down at a restaurant after about two weeks of being abroad and hearing this couple next to me complain about every little thing that was different from America. They complained about the food and the people and how the cars were too small to fit their luggage. They were so focused on how things were different from what they were use to that they failed to see the beauty in what was right in front of them. I was guilty of thinking this way when I first arrived as well. I felt like I could not adjust to this lifestyle and that everything should be like it is in America. But we aren't in America and the culture is going to be different. I think Americans truly believe that they are the best. Americans have the best food, the best culture, the best looking people, etc. Thinking that your country is the best and boasting that in another country is extremely disrespectful, yet Americans somehow think they can be excluded from this. That kind of attitude is what made me kind of embarrassed in the way Americans were acting. My dad when he came to visit, could not understand why he couldn't find a Monster energy drink at every convenient store. The entire time he was in London, he ate Subway because he refused to expand his mindset.

After weeks of being in not only London but Dublin as well, and experiencing a wide variety of cultures and different ways of living, I am more appreciative of the simple life I lead. Driving to work does not take me three hours in stop and go traffic. I do not have to crowd onto subway stations, being herded like cattle to get to a store. I have a large backyard and live in quite a spacious home. The cost of living here is ridiculous. I did not realize how cheap things were in America compared to European prices. There are no huge department stores, Wal-Marts, Kroger's, or malls. The value of the American dollar is almost cut in half compared to the British pound.

I hope that over the three weeks I have been abroad that I have been able to alter my perspectives on others' cultures and that I have become more flexible to new environments. I also hope that Americans, as a whole, can learn to adjust and be more accepting of other lifestyles. 

Me trying fish and chips (with vinegar) and embracing
the British culture
 

How the world sees America because that is how we are portrayed

Fight or Flight

I chose fight.

Sitting down at dinner at a nice restaurant/pub in Dublin, having just ordered our food, no one suspected the events that were about to occur. I was sitting next to Sydney at the end of the table. We both felt something brush beside our feet. I looked to down to see if I had dropped something and all I heard was Sydney say, "That was my purse." I flew out that door. Sydney and I both ran as fast as we could with all the people on the street guiding us saying, "She went that way!" We chased after her turning into alley ways and narrow streets. We turned a corner and saw the bag on the ground. A lady handed it to us with an utterly confused look on her face. Sydney quickly searched the bag and noticed her wallet was missing. So we ran further up and turned onto another street. We saw the women clearly at this point. She looked clean. She was wearing nice clothes. Not someone you would expect to steal. I yelled at the woman, "Hey! That's not yours! You can't have that! Drop it!" Finally when I yelled, "I'm calling the police" did she drop the wallet. We quickly went and grabbed the wallet and I asked two men on the side of the road the number for the police. Sydney looked in her wallet and her passport was missing. So we tried to catch back up with the woman but we had lost her. A taxi driver who had seen the incident drove up next to us and told us to hop in. They took us all around the area searching for the woman we described. After fifteen minutes of searching, we had no luck. At this point the police had come to the restaurant we were at.

We were dropped off and spoke to the police officer. She asked us to take us through the route we ran. We gave her all the details we could remember. The other girls in the group heard the description of the lady we had seen and they said that same lady came back to the restaurant area and spoke to them. She was right there in front of them and they had no idea. She came back to cover her tracks and told them that she was chasing the thief when she found the purse and handed it back to Sydney (none of which was true).

 After a thorough report, she got a call of an arrest nearby where we were. She left to check it out and said she would get back with us if the arrest was the same woman. We stayed at the restaurant drinking and listening to music, trying to calm our nerves for a few hours. When we didn't hear back from the officer, we decided to head back to the hostel. We stopped by the police office that night to see if a police report had been filed. The main problem was to get Sydney back to London with no passport. After researching, we found out that we could go to the National Embassy to apply for a temporary passport in the case on an emergency. When they were closed and we were told to come back Monday, we moved on to the next plan. Everyone was going to use their IDs at the airport instead of their passports and hope that works and they would let Sydney on without one. After discussing the plan and speaking with the police again, Sydney searched her purse one last time.

In a small, back pocket was her passport. A pocket she had just failed to look in. The only thing the woman had taken was a few British pounds. We must have scared her during the chase and so she dropped everything. Relief! Sydney was able to get back to London and all our fears and worried were finally put at ease. I may not be the bravest person but in the moment of the chase, I was prepared to fight. I reacted the quickest and ran out that restaurant at a speed I didn't even know I was capable of. If we hadn't stopped to pick up the purse and wallet and checked to see what was missing, we could've gotten her. But everything is fine and if nothing else I have one hell of a story to tell.

The police station (a.k.a Garda according to the Irish)

Morgan and Sydney trying to solve the passport issue

Dublin, Ireland

In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone

As she wheeled her wheel-barrow

Through streets broad and narrow

Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!

Alive, alive-O! alive, alive-O!

Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!

When I think back on my trip to Dublin, those lyrics will probably be my biggest trigger and reminder of my experience. The second day we were in Dublin, I heard and sang that song three times. I am not even sure how I knew it but I sang loud and proud just like the Irish. 

The first day in Ireland was kind of rough. We left in the evening to go on a train ride to the west side of England. We rode the train through Wales to the ferry port. By the time we arrived at the ferry port it was around 2 a.m. The ferry was much grander than I was expecting and was probably closer to the size of a cruise ship. There was an arcade, a cinema room, a restaurant, a café, and a bar on the ship! I was impressed needless to say. The view of the ocean from the ship window was amazing. The waves almost looked like they were painted there. We were on the boat from about 3-6 a.m. so we got to see the sunrise. None of us got very much sleep on the ship.

Once we landed on the ferry port in Dublin, we immediately got on a shuttle and rode to our hostel. I stayed in a room separate from the others with five other girls from all over the world. Three of the girls are from Austria, one from Canada and the other one never spoke to me haha. We couldn't check into our hostel until later that afternoon so we went and got an Irish breakfast (they eat baked beans and something called pudding that is actually an animals blood for breakfast). I just got toast and cereal. From breakfast, it was straight to the all day tour on a hop on hop off bus. We saw several museums, cathedrals, libraries, the Book of Kells, Trinity College, and most importantly the Guinness factory where I tried beer for the first time. The first day was extremely long. About 40 hours of no sleep and constant movement. Needless to say we all showered, got a quick bite to eat and went to bed.

The second day in Dublin was amazing. I went on a tour with two other girls to the north coast and Malahide castle. The castle was just like I had pictured. Stone walls, archways, gardens, ivy, and of course a tower. We toured the castle and walked around the courtyards. Then we drove to Howth, which is a town on the northern coast. The shoreline was filled with these giant rocks and seaweed. There was a lighthouse and tons of sailboats in the harbor. Plus we saw seals swimming beside some of the boats. It was so much beauty and uniqueness in one setting. I love it. Then we rode the bus alongside the coast scenic route back to Dublin. We walked along the main road and shopped. That night we went to dinner to hear live Irish music and you'll have to read the next blog to find out what happened there. 

 

The final day in Dublin was spent walking around exploring the city. We also went by this really nice shopping area and ate at a nice cafe. The group walked to the writers museum and took an audio tour to learn about James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and Johnathan Swift. All of who were influenced by Dublin and had references to Dublin in their works. Then we got on a shuttle to the airport and headed back to London. Flying back was waaaayy easier than the train and ferry route but it was all an experience. Speaking of experiences...I had my bravest moment in Dublin. More to come on the next post. 

London in the Eye of Romantic Poets

Wordsworth, Coleridge, William Blake, and Lord Byron all talked of London and England in several pieces of their works. Experiencing the culture these last two weeks has allowed me to relate in a more effective manner to the poetry.

For example Lord Byron has a cynical exert from a poem that speaks of the weather, government, and food of London. He says, "I like a parliamentary debate, Particularly when 'tis not too late." This reminded me of when we went and saw the parliament debate in the House of Lords and the House of Chambers. It was very late at night and many of the members of parliament were quite unaware of the debates at hand and seemed more interested in their phones.

House of Lords debate in session

In the same poem he speaks of the weather saying, "I like the weather, when it is not rainy, That is, I like two months of every year." Those two months of the year are when I am here in London. Since we have been here, we have had perfect weather- not too hot and not too cold. But I have also experienced the rainy and cold days. I have seen the perfectly cloudy skies that are typical to London. 


The cloudy and gloomy typical weather of London makes for
a perfect picture of the Tower

Other days are absolutely gorgeous to where the clouds almost
look painted in to the background

William Wordsworth wrote a poem about a girl that was typically overlooked and unseen. Some people are more inwardly focused and keep to themselves. There is nothing wrong with this. I, myself, tend to keep my thoughts and feelings to myself and can go unnoticed in a crowd. This conservative and almost introverted ideology is a very British attribute. The British keep to themselves and even  seldom make eye contact. They hustle and bustle about, only concerned with their end goals. They do not stop to say hello or wave at people they meet. They will not be outright friendly, but if need-be they will provide directions and answer questions. Their clothing can also tend to be conservative to a degree, wearing basic colors. The British are known to be very modest and quiet and to keep to themselves. The complete opposite of the Southern mannerism if you ask me.

William Blake wrote a dreary poem about London during one of its darker times. He wrote of the sights and sounds of London consisting of the marks of sadness and immorality stained on the people's faces. He wrote about the cries of the people, speaking of harlots and crimes. The sights and sounds that I see in London are more along the lines of sirens, ambulances, honking from buses, dinging of the bicycle horns, and a large diversity of different languages. I see the busy streets, the multitude of small cafes and shops. I see the diversity of the people and architecture. Mostly during my time here, I have begun to see both the history and future of London.